Christmas Island braces for transfers

Christmas Island's small regional hospital cannot cope with an influx of medical transfers from Manus Island and Nauru, the local council warns.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the detention centre will reopen to deal with any new asylum-seeker boat arrivals, and medical transfers, which arose from the parliament passing new transfer laws contrary to the government's wishes.

But the local council chief executive David Price says the tiny island is not ready to take asylum seekers with complex medical needs.